Move to Berlin in 2022

[@Millienfilm81]

This person is "dead-on" accurate with her list of reasons why to move to Berlin. I moved here a year ago from Florida, and I can tell you I am here to stay. Ich bin Berlin, please attempt to learn German to all who consider the move, it really helps. I too am a teacher at a University and Secondary School, and I love my jobs. It has been some of the best working experiences of my teaching career over the past eight years.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Wow! Thank you for the positive feedback! I'm so glad to hear you love it here too and Willkommen in Berlin! Always nice to hear there are fellow Americans around loving this city as much as I do! Cheers :)

[@tomtaromtomtom3994]

The Name of Berlin's inofficial YT-channel is 'radical living' .... no more words needed. :D

[@OroundTheWorld]

Haha love it!

[@misteram8348]

"Move Berlin to 2022" is what i read on the Thumbnail... I need more sleep

[@OroundTheWorld]

haha.. it's okay. I did it that way because it fit better... but yes, I should probably change it. ;)

[@iskadobadsf]

Will do : ) My "abroad" is Bavaria though ; ) See you around and have a nice day.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Sounds great! Enjoy!

[@Ste_VO]

Thank you for a super quick, straight forward video with your honest views on why we should move to Berlin. Highly contemplating it!!!! Also a teacher))))

[@OroundTheWorld]

All I can say is I would highly recommend it! The benefits of teaching in this city far outweigh the negatives (though I can't think of any negatives off the top of my head). I'm very happy working here! I'd highly recommend checking out: jfks.de/ www.metropolitanschool.com/en/ www.cosmopolitanschool.de/careers/ www.nelson-mandela-schule.net/ And start filling out those job applications!! ;)

[@MartimCorreia10]

As a Portuguese it's definitely on my list of things to do, it's either the USA or Germany, Lisbon is expensive I swear

[@OroundTheWorld]

So is the USA! And given the political situation there, I’d recommend Germany over the U.S. almost any day.

[@Khannea]

Amsterdam is just fine for me, thank you very much.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Also a great city!!

[@yearofthedragonjane]

i am planning to move to berlin and attend design school… looking forward to it so much

[@OroundTheWorld]

That sounds great! I hope you enjoy it!!

[@londonjones7040]

Hi, how did you find your job in Berlin?. I am a preschool teacher with a background in TESOL and TEFL.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Hey! So am I actually. When I landed in Berlin, I basically just emailed every single bilingual kindergarten and language school asking if they had any open positions and had a few interviews by the end of my first week. I had a teaching job first bc the kindergarten jobs require that you can speak b2 German so I didn’t get my kindergarten job until 1 year later. Also kindergartens in Germany are the preschool equivalent. 😉

[@jamescarpenter1824]

I sure miss Berlin. Served in Berlin from Feb.61 to Aug.63.U S Army. I wonder what kind of life my German girl friend had after I left. I have been back 3 times.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Oh wow, what a cool story! My grandfather also served in Germany. It's wonderful that you've been able to make it back to visit again over the years!

[@jamescarpenter1824]

@@OroundTheWorld Yes I have been blessed by going back 3 times. In 2010 we took one of our granddaughters with us. It was definitely a treat for her.

[@peter_meyer]

@@jamescarpenter1824 Well, not sure about the age of your granddaughter, so let me just suggest introducing her to CBYX?

[@jamescarpenter1824]

@@peter_meyer She is 27 now.

[@ThunderMemes5454]

All are on point, but getting a stay here is a pain! child care is free here but to get into a good one is hard most of it are full and you will be on the waiting list for months. I will say Berlin is good for single or young couple, but for a family please plan way in advance.

[@OroundTheWorld]

So true! I work in childcare, so yes, I completely agree with this statement. If you don't know the system or know someone who knows someone, it's a pain and takes a lot of planning to get set up here. When it comes to childcare, the best thing I can advise is applying for the "Gutschein" as early as possible and emailing kindergartens and schools individually to get on their waiting list. It's also important to check back with the schools to see if they have a sudden opening from families moving away. I believe it can only help your case if you build a good rapport with the schools.

[@jacobglancy7523]

Alright, I'm sold. I'm going

[@OroundTheWorld]

Great to hear! I hope you do!!

[@dzlfiqar]

Hi, I just got a job in Berlin and will relocate in a few months with my pregnant wife. I checked that lots of apartments are either full or quite expensive (above 1200 ish). Someone said that it is because of refugees from Ukraine, but is it true tho? Also, does 1800-2000 per month enough for a family of 3 to live in Berlin?

[@OroundTheWorld]

Hi, the housing market is rising here in Berlin and it is very competitive, however if you are willing to move to some of the neighbourhoods a little outside the city centre, you can usually have better luck with finding an apartment. I just posted a new video on this very subject here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qne8emuwo6iDers Hopefully this answers some questions for you. Also, is €1800-2000 the salary for an entire month? Before or after taxes? The food is cheap here... also, when you take into account how much one saves with childcare and everything else in this city, I'm sure it could be doable. I'd highly recommend looking for a place in a Kindergarten as soon as you arrive as well because this can also take quite a bit of time if you're not familiar with the system. ;)

[@CarpeDiem-rm2vm]

The reasons prices are so high are highly complex. The trend started way before the Russo-Ukraine war - pretty sure the refugees are no main reason why the prices rose, even though some people want to believe that.

[@dzlfiqar]

@@OroundTheWorld Thanks for the advice, that answers! 1800-2000 is reference to monthly spending. So that is already netted from tax and doesn't count the monthly saving.

[@ivyjohn869]

The prices are so high because of gentrification Berlin has become more and more attractive for people with a higher income and that’s lead to price speculation on property and the general rise of cost of living

[@ralphg2771]

Ive been offered a contract that pays 65k euros salary. Is this a livable wage in Berlin as a family of four? (two kids). My wife plans to seek work while there as well.

[@OroundTheWorld]

It’s hard to say. I think it depends on accommodation, spending habits and many other factors, but on the plus side, you save a lot of money on childcare in Germany since children can enter the kindergartens already at 10mo old. Also, moving slightly outside the city center will be cheaper than living directly in the center of things. I definitely think It’s doable. 🙂

[@machtmann2881]

Thank you for the video! I've been thinking of relocating to Berlin lately. Do you get treated well as a teacher over there? I have felt so bad for the teachers I know in America during COVID because they get bullied by everyone (well ok, that's true even before COVID tbh).

[@OroundTheWorld]

I highly recommend it! Yes, the teachers have been treated pretty well during COVID. I of course have to work the whole time because I'm a "necessary worker", but we got some bonus money because of it. I don't like how they handled things recently though because everyone more or less got sick in the schools and kindergartens, but I guess it was all part of their bigger plan to get everyone immune to the virus.

[@thomasheininger2243]

Thank you verry much, to talk so nice about Berlin and all of this in Germany, exept the differnt prices in Germany, for example Munich is much more expentsiv. But of course we have some Dark places too and to live here,is for the most people not so easy. But thats true, many soziell thinks are much better as in the US. Many Greetings from Bavaria 👋👋👋

[@OroundTheWorld]

@@thomasheininger2243 Thank you for your comment! Yes, Munich is definitely more expensive, but also a really nice city! Many greetings! :)

[@ivyjohn869]

Honestly if you’re a teacher I recommend you don’t go work in a public school in Berlin because students there are awful. Rather go to the suburbs, cause i know last year a teacher of mine got transferred to a school in Berlin and every student of hers felt so sorry, because students there are so rude. (also living in Berlin is getting more and more expensive, a lot of people are leaving the city to settle somewhere else near)

[@honbl5821]

Hi, thank you so much for this video! I wanted to drop a line because I’m in a kind of similar situation as what you talked about in the very beginning of the video. I’m a student in another neighboring EU country and I had an exchange semester in Berlin in 2020. My current student visa is going to expire at the end of June, so my plan is to come to Berlin towards the end of May or in June and keep looking for jobs there. I’ve already been sending my CV to start-up companies and so on but no positive response so far. I was just concerned that even if I am accepted for a position, one month or less would be so little time to arrange all the paperwork to prolong my visa/get a work permit and all that stuff… So I was wondering how it was in your case exactly and how you got your visa. How long did the whole process take you? Is it possible to get everything done within a week or so if I manage to find a job? I love Berlin so much and I really can imagine my life there so I’m hoping for the best :)

[@OroundTheWorld]

Hey! I definitely know the struggle. Honestly, I would say to go ahead and try to book an appointment already if you can for when your visa will expire just so you have an appointment on the books. You can do this online by refreshing the page in the early morning around 7am to see if new appts become available. Also, do you have the credentials that you could come in as a freelancer? For a freelance visa you need 2 job "offers" not actual contracts that state clearly how much potential money you can make from the offers once you get your permit to stay in Germany. I came in as a freelancer with one month on my visa and I got my freelance visa within that month. However, there's also the possibility you can buy more time by coming here on a "job searchers" visa or that you can get a visa based on "taking German language classes". Those might be a couple other options to look into. ;)

[@christianpetrozza]

i really like this video, but i would definitely get away from the title screens imo

[@OroundTheWorld]

Thank you for your thoughts, I will consider changing this.

[@tonyc.6407]

Hello there, one very important topic you failed to discuss is how much tax does one pay in Germany ? I agree with all else; however, when you have to pay 45-50% tax on earnings that can zap your budget. You have lived in Berlin for 6yrs as I recall so what tax bracket are you in ? I am considering moving to Germany when I retire next year and my total annual benefit will be approx 80K US dollars. I really don't wish to work anymore just volunteer work. Your thoughts. Thanks Tony aus Arizona.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Hi Tony, yes, you bring up a valid point. I'm actually a teacher and finishing my degree at the moment so I only work part time and am in a much lower tax bracket, however this will change next year when I graduate. Yes, a friend of mine recently moved here and accepted a job offer and plugged the tax into an online calculator to see how much would be taken out and she was SHOCKED. I agree, it's not pretty and it's pretty heartbreaking. In all honesty, anyone I know who lives/works here doesn't even look at the "brutto" or gross salary anymore for this reason because all that really matters in the end is your net salary and if it's enough to live off of. Germany isn't perfect, but in all honesty, when I compare having to pay separately for every doctor's appointment, or if by chance an emergency would happen in the US or you would become terminally ill, everything is covered by insurance here (Also retirement), where as in the US you could be suffering under thousands of dollars worth of debt just from a serious car accident that landed you in the hospital. On the contrary, I had thousands of dollars worth of student loan debt in the US and here I'm currently going to school for €300/semester. No country is perfect and I do believe that there are downsides to living in Germany too, but in the end it's up to each individual person to make a decision that would best benefit them and their current/long-term needs.

[@raoulm.kisselbach1115]

A new survey recently found out that the most startup-friendly town in Germany is not Berlin (anymore), but Essen. And other towns in the Ruhrgebiet like Duisburg and Dortmund also are most attractive to company-founders. Sorry, Hauptstadt. ;)

[@n.oleary2795]

Love it! Plus all the serious cyclists 🚴 who have their own lane/road to ride everywhere in the city. Don't walk, jog or push a buggy in their lane or you'll get run over 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🚴🏻‍♂️

[@OroundTheWorld]

Exactly! Hahah! ;)

[@Millienfilm81]

You ain't lying. I got rid of my car when I left the states, and been on my bike here in Berlin ever since.

[@yearofthedragonjane]

does anyone here know if us gluten intolerant people are able to eat gluten in berlin (like how these ppl can eat gluten in france and italy)

[@OroundTheWorld]

Do you mean whether or not people Are gluten free friendly in Germany? I mean as far as I know if you’re gluten intolerant, you can’t eat gluten regardless of what country your in, but Germany does offer a lot of gluten free options even though one of their main staples is bread.

[@abhiraghav007]

What is considered a good salary in Berlin ?? Lets say for a couple and a kid.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Honestly, this is a really hard question to answer because everyone's spending habits differ. It also depends where you're coming from as comparison. For example, if you choose to live a slightly outside of the city centre, say in Neukölln or Lichtenberg, you may save money on an apartment. Also, if you calculate how much one would spend on childcare in other countries, it's practically for free here if you manage to get a place in a kindergarten and then it allows both partners to work. When it comes to food and general cost of living, it's definitely one of the cheapest capital cities in Central Europe.

[@Kivas_Fajo]

Move Berlin to 2022? I guess it is already there, dear. 🙂

[@OroundTheWorld]

haha... it looked better that way, what can I say? ;)

[@broetchenahoi6524]

I am somewhat surprised and irritated to hear about so many Americans moving to Germany right now and seemingly easily, too. It is incredibly hard for people from most nations to get a resident & work permit here - but not Americans? Hmm. Hate to be the party pooper here, but instead of moving to Germany to take advantage of affordable health care, day care, college and affordable housing etc. - how about you come and visit, but then return home and fight for everyone in the US to have an equally high standard of living (and heal your own historic wounds?). The local high standard of living and affordable XYZ didn't just HAPPEN here - people struggled and fought for it (social security, worker's rights, health care etc.) for about 125 years - and we pay incredibly high taxes to sustain it! Living in a society with a foundation of solidarity is a CHOICE that can be rendered into laws, but even so: it requires commitment and contribution. Coming here to just take* take* take* what you want and need for *your best life*?? Not cool, honestly. But I guess that's always been the American way, let's be real. And just fyi: All those white Americans with Trump affiliations or a huge love of guns and racist tendencies or extreme evangelical pro-life mindsets: Please stay at home in the US. We don't want you here, we don't need you here, nope, no thanks.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Hey, thanks for your thoughts. I 100% understand where you're coming from and also agree. A change should/needs to come in the US and I hope it does. You're right, more people should be fighting instead of fleeing, but it's a hard one with our political system, skewed beliefs and limited knowledge about the rest of the world. I do hope a change will come and perhaps just creating an awareness about how life is around the rest of the world, will start to open people's eyes to fighting for that change.

[@noortjelief1987]

Wenn jemand hier arbeitet, bezahlt er/sie auch Steuern ect. Klar haben sie nicht mitgewirkt, das es so wird wie es jetzt is aber deine Sichtweise ist schon sehr krass.

[@masonhancock5350]

Lmao the Germans aren't racist?

[@faramarzmokri9136]

Is it possible for a US citizen visiting Germany to open a bank account ?

[@OroundTheWorld]

I’m sure it is. I opened a bank account in my first couple weeks and I don’t think I needed more than a passport and an address, however, I don’t remember if I had to be registered at the address or not when I opened it.

[@zorrothescoundrel]

I would like to do it, I am an artist and I do not think I am in the right city atm (I live i Dusseldorf). But the HUGE problem is finding a room..the prices are crazy .I know people that found a room, like 15 square meters for 600-650€-month, which is way too much. I could afford here to have my own apartment here with that sum

[@OroundTheWorld]

I hear you! My next video should be about finding an apartment here in Berlin. It's not easy, but definitely can be done. Unfortunately, it's all the people who come here and are so desperate they're willing to pay over €600/mo that drive up these crazy rent prices.

[@zorrothescoundrel]

@@OroundTheWorld thnx for the answer, I cannot wait for the next video then :D

[@sarahcholula448]

You got extremely lucky finding a place to live within a week, especially with no residence permit! Many people are looking for months, it's a tough market. Also you actually can't go to the doctor for a skin infection. I just went to one and he said I need to see a dermatologist, yet there are no appointments for that. So health care here has its downside here too.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Yeah, from what I hear the waiting lists for dermatologists are quite long and take a few months. And yes, I definitely take it as “fate” more than the norm when it comes to looking for apts. it was a very rare case, but sometimes miracles do happen in this city!

[@tommyharmon214]

Thanks for this video. I plan on going to university of Berlin for my masters. How is it for ex pats to find work, especially for students?

[@OroundTheWorld]

It's not bad at all. I'm actually going to university myself and I'm doing a work-integrated program where I can work on the side. There are also a lot of student jobs available or even mini jobs to help make some extra money while studying. I definitely recommend it!

[@peter_meyer]

To get an impression, check COPA90 Stories about Berlin kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3fCYp6VZaZ2oJo It has the specific viewpoint of Fußball (soccer) but it describes the spirit you will find there. Oh, and you can live in Berlin without even noticing soccer at all. Also, if you're looking for a scholarship, check this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnSQo3eVfciDi5o Good luck and viel Erfolg

[@OroundTheWorld]

If you're on a student visa, there might be some limitations to what kinds of jobs and how many hours you can work. I know there is an endless possibility of jobs here. For example, you can get a mini job that pays €400/month or perhaps you can pick up a freelance job or a part-time job working for one of the biking delivery services or for other small start ups. If you're creative enough, I have no doubt that you'll be able to find a job and on the plus side, living is very inexpensive here so if you've got some money saved up, it should take you a lot further here in Germany than in the US.

[@davidaway753]

Of course Berlin is cheap if you are coming from the US after years of living and working and saving money there.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Completely agree!

[@DiskusGames]

„It‘s cheap!“ Eh, not for me

[@OroundTheWorld]

Well, mind you this video was created before a war and inflation hit here in Europe, however, if you compare the prices to the US, I think it's very affordable.

[@kraiijj]

"Berlin is cheap" (in term of renting an apartment) - Berlin natives: woooot????

[@OroundTheWorld]

haha... yeah, well I guess not for those who've had an apartment contract for the last 10 years and are looking to relocate. ;)

[@peter_meyer]

31.000? That probably meets the number of americans living in Berlin.

[@OroundTheWorld]

You're probably right... probably should've done a better fact check. Thanks anyway.

[@peter_meyer]

@@OroundTheWorld Ah, never mind. To my knowledge there are no real statistics about this. I could find the official number 717.000 for foreign residents. But even that isn't necessarily accurate, as there are many living in the city without registration.

[@OroundTheWorld]

@@peter_meyer Oh well, thank you for taking the time to fact check this one. Yeah, I read the number on another website that I found so I took it to be true, but no idea where they got that number from.

[@peter_meyer]

@@OroundTheWorld Probably from an american source? They tend to know these numbers pretty well - about americans.

[@yogesh8615]

Can you please make a video to find an accomodation in Berlin

[@OroundTheWorld]

Yes, it's in progress as we speak!

[@yogesh8615]

@@OroundTheWorld realllly appreciate that .. A big thanks .

[@ikke627]

MOVE BERLIN TO 2022!

[@OroundTheWorld]

It was aesthetically pleasing ;)

[@riccardodececco4404]

There is no reason to move to Berlin right now. It´s the same shit as everywhere. And there will be no way back to what Berlin was or promised to be before 2020 or even more so 2015. The new lightness of being of 2006 is gone - forever.

[@OroundTheWorld]

Yeah, I feel ya. I guess it's just a matter of trying to make the most of the given situation. Berlin is definitely not what it was when I moved here in 2016 and it's been hit hard with restrictions and regulations ever since the pandemic started, but I guess that's the way it is everywhere right now.

[@samael7867]

@@OroundTheWorld i would be carefull if someone mentions 2015, most of the times those people are extrem right wing and / or very xeonophobe when it comes to refugees.

[@OroundTheWorld]

@@samael7867 Thank you for that!

[@cristianmarcoff]

Cheap?...... you have to tell us the salary........rent 500 and a salariilor around 1200.....IT is not cheap...so give us some nummbers....

[@OroundTheWorld]

I will be doing another video in the near future where I will give more accurate numbers regarding the cost of living for singles and families. Besides, do you mean 1200 before or after taxes? For example, If I worked full time I'd be over the 1500 mark after taxes and my rent would be 1/3 of that, which is the ratio most landlords will look for when renting you an apartment.

[@LittleMissEden100]

Whay are the taxes so insane though? for a 2200 euro salary i have 1535 left

[@OroundTheWorld]

Agreed... that's the biggest downside to living in Germany for sure, however, the cost of living is cheap and they practically have a built in childcare system, which would cost a fortune in the U.S.

[@peter_meyer]

​@@OroundTheWorld Well, yes. But with that I support our municipal outdoor pool, our sports club, our relatively well-maintained roads, the voluntary fire brigade, those who are not doing so well, the sick, the convalescent, the newcomers, science and of course the economy. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me? Because it serves everyone. Sounds a bit like Star Trek, right? Alas we are far behind. We're working on it. Help us.

[@broetchenahoi6524]

Yes, taxes are high. But that's why we have pretty good public transport, solid worker protections, free university etc. - it's paid for by taxes. Everybody chips in so that everyone can have a good standard of living. Solidarity!

[@LittleMissEden100]

@@OroundTheWorld I am still intrested high taxes or not :) Im having so much trouble finding a place though.. even stumbled across a scammer but it was so obvious it would have been funny if it wasnt so upsetting..

[@OroundTheWorld]

@@LittleMissEden100 oh no! Im so sorry to hear that. Yeah the apartment market is really tough here in Berlin.

[@nigar935]

Berlin and cheap? In 2022? Job and APARTMENT in a week? Impossible, not even 6 years ago. Now you wish you can find an apartment in 6 months,please stop with this romantic myth. Berlin is extraordinary and everything, but not those fairytale stuff you tell here(of course if you stop comparing it to worse cases in other countries, like health insur.in US.)

[@OroundTheWorld]

Well, please keep in mind that this video was created before a war started between Russia and the Ukraine and inflation hit unexpectedly hard. I do believe Berlin is still a great place to live and offers a lot of long-term benefits, but yes, every country/city has both positives and negatives. I do know that compared to the inflation that has hit in the US and the tipping over 20% on even a coffee adds up. I do believe that my life in Berlin is much more affordable in comparison to the US, which is what I was basing this video on.